CATALYSTS
CIAST strengthens the conditions under which resources, opportunities, and leadership come into alignment—so promising efforts can move from intent to action. We serve as initiators at moments where coordination, readiness, and trust determine whether work moves forward or stalls.
Rather than owning outcomes, CIAST focuses on enabling them—using public and private resources to catalyze action, reduce friction, and translate intent into real-world outcomes.
By taking action where alignment is incomplete and risk is still emerging, CIAST reduces the need for others to start from scratch—strengthening execution capacity across the ecosystem and accelerating responsible progress where it’s needed most.
Below are just a few examples of execution capacity in practice
FLAGSHIP RESILIENCE SITE
GREEN HARVEST AUGSBURGER
Green Harvest Augsburger (GHA) is our commercial-scale circular agriculture and distributed energy demonstration campus in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Strategically co-located with active dairy, hog, and poultry operations, as well as regional food-processing partners, GHA represents a fundamental shift in how we approach the food-energy-water nexus. Developed as a three-phase initiative, GHA has successfully completed Phases I and II, establishing a full-scale, operating platform for resource recovery and beneficial reuse. We have proven that the traditional models of waste management are insufficient for the complexities of modern agriculture. Phase III will expand this foundation into a larger, multi-technology campus designed to function as a “supermarket” of proven and emerging solutions from around the world.
Beyond CIAST-built infrastructure, several of the efforts highlighted below show how we support people and platforms at their earliest stages—advancing capital readiness, reducing deployment risk, and creating responsible pathways to implementation.
These efforts were enabled in part by SBA Growth Accelerator Fund resources.
WEAVER ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERS
Built on Trust. Driven by Solutions.
Focused on Impact.
WEP brings together decades of hands-on agricultural science, capital markets expertise, and regulatory know-how to solve problems on working lands. Founded by Jeremy Weaver, Nick Biondi, and Bill Rogers, WEP designs practical, farmer-centered solutions across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. From nutrient management to barnyard engineering, their work helps producers stay in
compliance and secure the future of their land and livelihood.
WEP operates where policy meets practice — helping producers navigate regulations without losing sight of what makes a farm work. Call (717) 423-3550 to connect.
MOCK5 DESIGN INC.
Making a meaningful, sustainable difference
mock5 design inc. is a healthcare and wellness creative agency using human-centered design to help organizations communicate with clarity, empathy, and purpose. Led by Principal Monica Mockus, the Lansdale, Pennsylvania team has been building meaningful brand experiences since 2014 — listening closely to the needs of patients, caregivers, providers, and communities.
A certified woman-owned small business, mock5 has built a reputation for work that is as thoughtful as it is effective. Learn more at mock5design.com
SKOUT STRATEGY
Building resilient local and regional food infrastructure
Skout Strategy pairs agriculture and technology to rebuild America’s hollowed-out food infrastructure. Founded by George L. Carter III, the team advises organizations
on designing, building, and operating high-performing controlled environment agriculture (CEA) farms — from tech stack selection to capital strategy and full operations.
Skout knows technology alone won’t fix the food system.
It takes systems-level thinking, the right economics, and flawless execution. Learn more at skoutstrategy.com